


Hooked

by amelespotamos



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: M/M, although i'm pretty sure they don't run the way i wrote it, but they're pretty minor, it could also be called a celebrity/fan au, more like a tv station au, this is almost an office au, woohyun sungjong and sunggyu are also there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2018-04-26 23:19:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5024533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amelespotamos/pseuds/amelespotamos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Myungsoo had expected his internship to have him running errands and gaining work experience and, hopefully, getting a full-time job at the end of it. He wasn't expecting to catch the eye of someone like Lee Sungyeol.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Are You Free Tonight?

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, this is just a long-winded excuse for them to kiss a lot.

Hoya finds Myungsoo sitting on their living room couch with his eyes glued to the TV. He's on the edge of his seat, a look of awe on his face. Hoya walks up behind his oblivious roommate and sits on the back of the couch. On the TV screen two men are in a heated exchange, their faces inches from each other and breathing heavily.  


"Is this what you're into?"  


Hoya grins at the incredibly high squeak the other lets out. It's always fun scaring Myungsoo. He swings his legs over the back of the couch and drops down next to the younger man. Myungsoo glares at him after pausing the show.  


"Doesn't that ever get old?" Myungsoo is sure he must have lost twenty years of his life from Hoya sneaking up on him. It's a wonder he doesn't have wrinkles or gray hair.  


"It really doesn't," Hoya sighs. If Myungsoo is losing years then Hoya is gaining them. He probably enjoys scaring the crap out of his roommate and friend a bit too much. There's just something so entertaining about Myungsoo's reaction when Hoya surprises him as he's coming through the front door or when he sneaks up behind an unsuspecting Myungsoo and makes him jump five feet in the air.  


"But that's not the point," Hoya says as he remembers where the conversation started. "Is this what you do when I'm not around? You don't have to hide it. I won't judge you. If it makes you feel any better, I watch this stuff too—well, not this kind of thing, but, you know, it's nothing to be embarrassed about."  


Myungsoo stops glaring, but the frown stays on his face. "What the hell do you think I'm watching?" Hoya rolls his eyes and gives him a look as if it should be obvious. "I'm not—you think—" Myungsoo stumbles over his words once he realizes what his friend had inferred. "It's the middle of the day."  


Hoya shrugs. "Different strokes for different folks, you know?"  


Myungsoo can only wonder how he ended up sharing an apartment with this guy. He must have been desperate. Yeah, that's probably it. "So I'm just going to forget you said that," he says. "And tell you what's actually going on." He takes a deep breath as he starts to recount his first encounter with the Lee Sungyeol. "So you know how I got that internship at that TV station where Dongwoo works?"  


It had been Myungsoo's first day at the station. He was excited enough to be there, but the fact that this was a paid internship made getting up at five in the morning so much more worth it. His boss, Sunggyu, had been showing him and the other two interns around the building and brought them to the set of one of the station's many dramas. Myungsoo hadn't recognized any of the actors or even the title of the show. He was too busy observing the lighting and set design to pay attention to the scene being filmed until the director called cut. As he finally noticed the people in front of him, his eyes fell on a man in a body suit and mask holding a fencing sword. From there it was like everything started moving in slow-motion. The man had pulled off the mask to reveal a mop of brown hair and the most beautiful face Myungsoo was sure he'd ever seen.  


There was a bit of awe and breathlessness as he stared at the way the man whipped his hair out of his face with a swift flick of his head. He had no idea who that person was, but he intended to find out.  


"So you haven't tried to talk to him even though you see him every day, but you've spent the last two weeks fanboying over him at home," Hoya asks when Myungsoo's finished. Myungsoo and smooth aren't the best of friends, but Hoya is still disappointed his friend didn't seize such a golden opportunity. The helpless shrug Myungsoo gives him only further convinces him that he should be responsible and pass on some of the dating knowledge he's gathered so far in his life.  


"I doubt going up to him and saying 'I like your face' will go over well."  


"Well, no," Hoya rolls his eyes at his friend's sarcasm. "You shouldn't show your weirdness too early." Myungsoo scowls, but Hoya ignores him "But you could at least let him know you exist."  


"So you're advising me on my love life now?"  


"It's a tough job," Hoya answers with an exaggerated sigh. "But someone has to do it."  


Myungsoo doesn't know what he did in a past life to deserve a friend like Hoya, but it couldn't have been anything good. Yet, as wary as he is about letting Hoya of all people get him a date, he must admit that without the other he'd probably just continue to admire the actor from afar. Surely this must be the best option.

   


\\\\\

   


After all of Hoya's coaching, Myungsoo still freezes at the sight of Sungyeol. He and Jiae, another intern, are walking through a hallway when the actor turns the corner. His first instinct is to turn around and run as far away as possible. But Sungyeol's eyes just happen meet his and he panics. He doesn't give himself time to think before he rushes into the nearest room, pulling Jiae in with him. Slamming the door shut, he rests his forehead against it. His heart's pounding in his chest and sweat is already starting to form on his palms.  


"Uh, Myungsoo?" Jiae places a gentle hand on his shoulder and he jumps slightly. He'd kind of forgotten she was there. "Are you feeling okay?"  


"Yeah," Myungsoo answers and he clears his throat when it comes out higher than he would like it to be. "I'm fine. I just need a minute."  


"Well, I think you might want to do this somewhere else since, you know, this is the women's bathroom."  


Myungsoo's head shoots up at that. He spins around to finally take in his surroundings. There are no urinals in sight, only stalls. His already red cheeks turn even redder as the realization sinks in.  


Jiae doesn't ask him why he needed a minute in the women's bathroom (for which he's grateful), but she does tease him mercilessly for the rest of the morning. (He's not so grateful for that.) Sunggyu and Sujeong, the other intern, don't necessarily get all of the jokes, but that doesn't stop them from laughing. A reprieve finally arrives in the form of Dongwoo. He invites Myungsoo to have lunch with him and the younger boy accepts almost instantly.  


The station's cafeteria has a whole floor all to itself. It's designed to look like a trendy café with wood tables and low lighting and mood music. Myungsoo is still fairly awed by all of it.  


He and Dongwoo have just sat down with their food when the older man spots someone he knows and waves him over. Myungsoo doesn't realize that someone is none other than Lee Sungyeol until the actor is standing above him in a perfect-fitting suit. He nearly tips his cup over as he shoots up out of his seat. A long silence settles over the table while Myungsoo just stares at the man in front of him. It feels like he's tumbling head-first into Sungyeol's eyes.  


"Hi," Sungyeol says quietly. Myungsoo's eyes are immediately drawn to the way one side of his mouth turns up slightly. That counts as a smile, right? His blatant staring and embarrassing speechlessness haven't weirded the other out? Hoya's voice pops into his head briefly, reminding him not to be too weird too early. It's a bit too late for that.  


"Hi." It comes out as more of an exhale, but Myungsoo's just happy his voice didn't crack or fail him completely. He drops back down in his chair, feeling his cheeks heat up. He stuffs nearly half of his sandwich into his mouth to give himself something to do and to avoid embarrassing himself further.  


Dongwoo has a knowing smirk on his face as he introduces them. (Hoya had filled him in on Myungsoo's fanboy crush with way more enthusiasm than necessary. Myungsoo's pretty sure he's not the only one who could use a date.) "This is my friend Myungsoo. He just started interning here."  


Sungyeol takes a seat at the table. Myungsoo can feel his eyes on him, but he refuses to look up from the table. He might do something stupid. "Don't look so star struck," Sungyeol tells him. (Myungsoo tries not to choke on his food.) "I'm not that famous."  


At this, Dongwoo jumps in to defend the actor's fame. That starts a conversation between the two of them that Myungsoo is more than happy to just observe. It's much more interesting to watch Sungyeol as he talks. The little dimple that forms when he smiles really wide, how expressive his eyebrows are, the sound of his voice. Myungsoo feels lucky enough to be able to witness all of it up close.  


All too soon Sungyeol is pushing back his chair and standing up. "Crap, my break was over ten minutes ago." He points a finger at Dongwoo. His face seems stern, but there's a playful twinkle in his eyes. "I know you still have my number, so you better start calling me more."  


"Who's the top star who's always working and doesn't have any time for his friends?"  


Sungyeol rolls his eyes, sucking up the last of the iced coffee he'd brought with him. "I'm not that busy; I can make time. And stop calling me that. I'm not that famous." Dongwoo laughs while Sungyeol looks like he's barely stopping himself from stomping his foot. Myungsoo smiles to himself, finding the actor's frustrated expression incredibly cute. The smile freezes when Sungyeol turns his attention to him. "It was nice meeting you, Myungsoo. Hopefully I'll be seeing more of you around here."  


_God, yes_ , Myungsoo thinks. He doesn't say anything, though. It probably wouldn't be coherent anyway. Sungyeol gives him one last bright smile before leaving.  


"When exactly were you going to mention that you knew Lee Sungyeol of all people," Myungsoo asks once Sungyeol is far enough away. He gives his friend a light shove that does nothing to dim the smile on the other's face.  


"You never asked," Dongwoo shrugs. The younger boy gives him an incredulous look, obviously not satisfied with that explanation. "But I think he might like you."

 

 

For the rest of the day, all Myungsoo can think about is the possibility of Sungyeol liking him. It's not that he actually believes someone like Lee Sungyeol could be attracted to him. But the idea has been planted in his mind (thanks to Dongwoo) and it shows no signs of leaving. His co-workers don't seem to notice any change in his behavior, but that's probably because he has a tendency to space out if he doesn't have something to focus on. So no one gets suspicious when he starts thinking about Sungyeol smiling at him or telling him he hopes to see him again. He tells himself it's just the actor being nice. Lee Sungyeol is a nice person.  


His mind is still preoccupied when he, Jiae and Sujeong are heading to the elevators at the end of the day. The two girls are chatting behind him as they wait, but he's not really paying attention to the words. His mind is busy conjuring all of the different ways he might bump into Sungyeol. When the elevator finally arrives, he steps on without a glance at the two people already standing in it.  


"Oh, it's you."  


Myungsoo would recognize that voice anywhere. He looks up to see Sungyeol standing just a few feet away from him. His stomach flips at the smile on the other's face. It's even brighter than he remembers it. The taller man is dressed more casually in jeans and a t-shirt, but Myungsoo thinks he looks just as good as he did in the suit. Better, even.  


"You know him?" The surprised question comes from Sungyeol's co-star, Nam something-something (Myungsoo can't remember at the moment). He's in a corner with his arms crossed and his eyebrows up to his hairline.  


Jiae and Sujeong are standing close to Myungsoo, just as surprised and eager to know what's going on.  


Sungyeol ignores the other actor. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon."  


Myungsoo is all too aware of Nam Woohyun's (that's his name) eyes on him as well as his fellow interns' attentive ears. He smiles up at Sungyeol and fights the urge to cover his flushed cheeks. Maybe Dongwoo's right. The way the other man's looking at him is the same as when he looks at the female lead on his drama. (Now he can stop being jealous of Nam Jihyun.)  


Sungyeol seems to notice their audience as well because he only smiles back at him before turning to face the doors. Myungsoo wishes the other man would continue talking to him. The rest of the ride passes in a palpable silence. When the elevator reaches the ground floor Myungsoo turns to say a quick goodbye to the man next to him and then hurries out. Jiae and Sujeong are silent for all of ten seconds before they start hounding him for answers. He makes them buy him dinner in exchange for telling them everything. (Well, not _everything_ —he doesn't need two more people meddling in his love life.)

   


\\\\\

   


Myungsoo rubs at his eyes. The words on the computer screen have started to blur. He's been stuck fact-checking for the last two hours and he was supposed to clock out half an hour ago. The girls have already finished their work and left while Sunggyu disappeared to who-knows-where some time ago. There's still a good-sized stack of articles to go through, but Myungsoo doesn't think he has the energy to read anymore. He's just laid his head on his desk when the door to the interns' shared office opens. He picks his head up to see Sunggyu's own peeking past the threshold.  


"You're still here," the older man asks. Myungsoo holds up the stack of articles in response. "Don't worry about that. You can finish it tomorrow." And with that he leaves just as suddenly as he came. The intern doesn't have to be told twice that he can leave. He makes quick work of saving his work and shutting down the computer and straightens up his desk. The energy that he had been lacking just moments before seems to have come back to him with the almost tangible image of the food waiting for him at home as well as the very comfortable spot for him on the couch.  


Out in the hallway, he's just shut the door behind him when he notices someone standing over by the elevators. But it's not just anyone. Lee Sungyeol is leaning against the wall as if he does that often. He glances up, meeting Myungsoo's eyes, and stuffs the phone he'd been tapping on into his pocket.  


Myungsoo checks behind himself when the actor waves in his direction. _Has he been waiting for me?_ He makes his way over to the other man slowly. He's not completely sure he didn't fall asleep in the office and is currently dreaming. He hasn't seen so much as a glimpse of Sungyeol since running into him in the elevator a week ago. This couldn't possibly be really happening.  


"Were you waiting long?" He feels awkward asking the question. Like it's something only couples ask each other.  


Sungyeol doesn't seem to feel the same way, though. He smiles down at him with the same odd excitement as the last time they'd met. "Not too long." Myungsoo nods in acknowledgement. He's probably just being polite. It's still hard to believe that the other man came to see him. "I was waiting to ask if you wanted to grab something to drink downstairs before I had to go back to filming, but it's too late for that now."  


Myungsoo bites down on his lip. He wants to feel happy to hear that the actor wanted to spend time with him. Just a month ago he hadn't even known who Lee Sungyeol was. And now he's somehow managed to catch the other man's eye. But the feeling is dampened knowing that they won't be spending any time together. And it's because of him.  


"I'm sorry," he apologizes quietly. "I didn't know you would be waiting for me."  


Startled by the other's serious tone, Sungyeol rushes to reassure him, his tone placating. "It's not your fault. I should have said something sooner or, I guess, checked to see how long you'd be. But it's too late to worry about that, anyways, so now I'll have to go with Plan B."  


"What's that?"  


"Walking you to the door."  


Myungsoo feels ridiculous for blushing, but it sounds like such a chivalrous and romantic thing to do. "I'd like that." He doesn't know how much hotter his face can get before it melts off.  


Sungyeol waits for him to step into the elevator first when it finally arrives. Their fingers touch when they both reach out to press the button for the ground floor. Myungsoo pulls his hand away quickly, unsure if the spark of electricity he'd felt had been real or not. Sungyeol doesn't flinch. He sticks his hands in his pockets and turns to face Myungsoo.  


"I hope you don't mind that I asked Dongwoo about you." The intern shakes his head, his voice failing him. He can only hope Dongwoo hasn't told Sungyeol anything embarrassing. "Good," Sungyeol smiles. (Myungsoo kind of wishes he would stop doing that. It makes his stomach flip like crazy.) "I was wondering if—"  


Whatever the actor had been about to say is interrupted when the elevator doors open and a couple employees Myungsoo recognizes from the marketing department get on. The two men step to one side to make room for them. Sungyeol gives Myungsoo an apologetic look, but the shorter man silently assures him that it's okay. The rest of the ride goes by quickly, the silence in the car punctuated by the quiet music playing from speakers overhead. Sungyeol lets the other occupants exit first and then he and Myungsoo step out. It's late enough in the day that the lobby is close to empty as they walk across it to the front doors. The actor has his hands stuffed back in his pockets while the other's empty hands are clasped in front of him.  


"I guess I'll see you around," Sungyeol says when they're standing at one of the doors. The confidence he'd exuded earlier seems to have deserted him. He looks as nervous as Myungsoo feels. He offers only a small wave as goodbye before turning away.  


Myungsoo's left wondering what the actor had been about to ask back in the elevator as he watches the other man leave. He doesn't want to believe that Sungyeol was going to ask him out on a date. Despite all of the signs pointing to yes (Sungyeol remembered him, asked his friend about him, and even said he wanted to see him again), Myungsoo doesn't think someone like Lee Sungyeol would be interested in him. It's not his face that he's worried about. He's heard about his looks enough times in his adult life that he's come to not care anymore. What he's unsure of is why Sungyeol took an interest in him. He would be kidding himself if he assumed the other wasn't the least bit physically attracted to him. But aside from that, he can't help wondering what else piqued Sungyeol's interest. Or if there was anything else. The actor could have anyone he wanted and Myungsoo can't seem to figure out why he would want him out of everyone else.

   


\\\\\

   


Somehow Myungsoo has managed to get Hoya to watch Sungyeol's show with him. They're sitting side-by-side on the couch and completely engrossed in the latest episode. Myungsoo had thought his friend would have trouble understanding what's going on, but he seems to be keeping up just fine. He must've secretly binge-watched the earlier episodes, Myungsoo thinks as Hoya yells at one of the characters on the screen.  


"Are you going to get that?"  


The question comes near the end of the show when Myungsoo is too into it to hear anything else. After a pause he realizes that, yes, that is his phone ringing. He reaches for it where it sits on the arm of the couch and slides his thumb over the screen to answer it without checking the caller ID.  


"Hello," he says absently. On the TV Sungyeol is doing a monologue and he's finding that he might be falling for the character as well as the actor himself.  


"Myungsoo?" It takes him a second to realize that the hesitant voice in his ear is the same as the confident one coming from the TV. When it connects he nearly drops the phone on the floor. It falls onto the couch instead as he jumps to his feet. Hoya's looking at him like he's crazy (and maybe there's a touch of annoyance in there too because the show isn't over yet, so what the hell?).  


"What are you doing?"  


Myungsoo looks from his roommate to his phone and back again. Maybe he really has gone crazy because he thinks that was Sungyeol's voice on the other end of the phone, but that can't be possible. Sungyeol doesn't have his number.  


When he gets no answer, Hoya picks up the fallen phone. "Hello," he says cautiously, suspicious of whoever made his friend react like that.  


"Uh, Myungsoo?" The voice on the phone is hesitant.  


"Who's this?"  


"S-Sungyeol."  


Hoya mentally pats himself on the back for being intimidating even over the phone. "Who," he asks. The name is familiar; he thinks he's heard it recently.  


"Lee Sungyeol," the guy on the other end answers quickly. "I, um, I work with Myungsoo."  


"Lee Sungyeol—" The name has barely left his mouth before Myungsoo lunges at him and snatches the phone out of his hand.  


The younger man hurries off to his room without another word, the phone pressed against his ear. "Hi, Sungyeol," he says (sighs) once he's closes his door. He starts pacing the tiny expanse of his room. There's silence over the line for a moment as if Sungyeol isn't sure if he's really talking to Myungsoo.  


"So I do have the right number."  


"Yeah, sorry about that. I was surprised so my roommate was just making sure it wasn't some creep on the phone." Myungsoo stops his pacing to fiddle with the stuff on his dresser. "He's not always like that, I promise."  


Sungyeol laughs softly and the sound makes the younger man's stomach do somersaults. "I get it. And I can guarantee you I'm not a creep at all."  


Myungsoo is grateful there's no one else around to witness how stupid he must look at the moment with a grin stretching across his face. "I believe you. But you should know only creeps make it a point to say they're not creepy." Maybe it's because the actor isn't right in front of him, with his eyes that seem as deep as the ocean and his perfect everything, but Myungsoo finds that he's not as nervous talking to Sungyeol this time. The other's voice is warm in his ear and he can't imagine ever getting tired of it.  


"Would a creep admit that he asked your friend for your number?"  


Myungsoo makes a mental note to kiss Dongwoo the next time he sees him (or just hug him; he's fine either way). He lays down on his bed, feeling a lot like a teenage girl as he hugs his pillow. "Maybe," he answers slowly. The smile on his face grows when he realizes he might actually be flirting with Lee Sungyeol of all people. Hoya would be so proud. "Were you planning on listing all of the creepy things that don't make you a creep or was there some other reason you called me?" He laughs at the indignant squeak the other man lets out. Sungyeol stutters a bit as he tries to deny the first part of the question and agree with the second part.  


"I was calling because there was something I wanted to ask you yesterday." Myungsoo's heart speeds up as he remembers the careful way the other had started his question. He's pretty sure he knows what the question's going to be. "So, I kinda wimped out yesterday after we got off the elevator," Sungyeol admits. "But I was going to ask if you wanted to go out with me sometime, you know, on a date."  


"A date," Myungsoo repeats. He had been expecting it, but he's still a bit thrown. "That's—yeah, I'd love to."  


Sungyeol's relief is almost palpable. "Okay, great, it's a date. Ah, we already established that, didn't we? I should go now. I'm starting to sound like an idiot."  


"Only a little bit," Myungsoo agrees with a small laugh.  


"Well, I'm pretty busy the rest of this week so maybe we could meet up sometime next week?"  


"Yeah, that's fine."  


"Okay. Goodnight, then."  


"Goodnight, Sungyeol." Myungsoo hangs up the phone and lets his arm drop down to his side. He lays on his bed staring up at his ceiling for a moment before breaking out into a happy dance. Considering he's horizontal, it looks a lot more like an imitation of a worm on the sidewalk. His celebration is cut short when the door to his room swings open and Hoya walks in.  


He takes one look at his roommate wriggling about and says, "I can't believe you got a celebrity to ask you out when you act like this."

   


\\\\\

   


Myungsoo doesn't usually go out this late. He's more comfortable spending late nights curled up on the couch or tucked into bed with the blue glow of the TV or his laptop lighting up the room. But he wouldn't rather be anywhere else at the moment. Even though he's never been to this part of the city at any time of day, he's still incredibly excited. As he walks up the steps from the subway he doesn't realize Sungyeol is waiting for him until a tall man grabs onto his arm. He turns around, a rude comment on the tip of his tongue, when he gets a better look under the baseball cap the man has pulled low.  


"Sungyeol," he asks just to make sure.  


The other man pulls the cap up to reveal his face. He smiles at Myungsoo as he surreptitiously steers the younger man down the sidewalk with his hand still wrapped lightly around his arm. "I thought you'd still recognize me," Sungyeol says. He pouts slightly and Myungsoo has to look away to keep himself from cooing at how cute the other man looks.  


"What happened to you being not that famous?"  


"I'm not," Sungyeol insists. (Myungsoo adds his pouts to the ever-growing list of things the actor does that make his stomach flip.) "This was just a precaution. In case there's someone who wants to know what I could be up to at a time like this."  


Myungsoo nods in understanding. He's never had anyone following him and taking his pictures, but he knows what it's like to have unwanted eyes on him. He looks around the street they're on. There's a good amount of people out and most of the stores are open, their neon signs painting the sidewalk. He then looks down at their outfits. "At least we match," he says. They're both wearing black pants and Sungyeol has on a dark blue hoodie while Myungsoo had gone with a simple black sweater. (Hoya had tried to talk him out of the ensemble, but the younger man had stubbornly insisted that he didn't need to dress up for a late dinner date.)  


In one smooth move, Sungyeol links their arms at the elbows. Myungsoo pretends not to notice. "Great minds think alike."  


"Is that a compliment for me or for you?"  


Instead of an answer, Sungyeol leads him into a restaurant on the corner of the street. He greets the middle-aged woman behind the counter with a smile and sweet words as he takes off his hat.  


"Oh my, you've gotten so skinny," she says as she brings him in for a tight hug over the counter. "You should put it in your contract that they have to feed you three times a day no matter what."  


"And I'll get all my meals from here, right?"  


The woman smiles up at the actor and smacks him playfully on the shoulder. "Of course. Where else would you go?" She starts to say something else, but then her eyes fall on Myungsoo. "Oh, who's this?"  


Myungsoo had been standing off to the side observing their exchange and wondering how often Sungyeol must come here (and with whom) to be on such friendly terms with the owner. He steps closer to the other two when he realizes their attention is on him now. Sungyeol casually wraps his arm around Myungsoo's shoulder as he introduces him. The younger man smiles at the woman, trying not to think too much about the contact. "This is Myungsoo."  


"Wow, where did you find him?" Myungsoo lets out an embarrassed laugh. Older women tend to be the most taken by his looks, fawning over him and showering him with compliments. He's mostly used to it.  


Sungyeol doesn't hide his amusement at the enamored look on the woman's face. "Be careful," he warns her happily. "What would your husband think if he heard you right now?"  


She waves him off easily. "He wouldn't blame me one bit. Now I know you didn't come all the way here just to chat up an old lady and unlike some people, I'm still on the clock. I already know what you want so go sit and I'll bring it to you."  


Sungyeol smiles over at her, his gums showing. "Have I told you how much I love you?"  


"Only every time I give you food."  


She shoos them away and they head to a table near a back corner of the restaurant. They pass a handful of customers on the way, mostly couples and late-night workers, but no one gives them so much as a glance. Despite the lack of attention, the table Sungyeol chooses is partially hidden by a tall potted tree. Sungyeol pulls out Myungsoo's chair for him before sitting down himself.  


"Okay, I'll be honest," the actor says after a long minute of them staring expectantly at each other. "I've never really done this before."  


Myungsoo tilts his head to the side in confusion. "What, dated a fan? Dated a male fan? Dated any guy period?" The words come out quicker than he means them to, his curiosity about the other's answers fueling them. He's tried not to concern himself with who Sungyeol is attracted to (which is hard when he appears to be on that list), but he has often wondered if the actor might be interested in men. Or if he wasn't until he met Myungsoo and that could explain the way the older man looks at him or be the reason why they're sitting like this now.  


It takes Sungyeol a moment to make sense of the questions. He meets Myungsoo's eyes evenly, not embarrassed in the least. "I have dated a fan before, though not one who was also a man. But in general, I like men, too, so yes, I've dated them before."  


Myungsoo mentally strikes out his earlier theory. He's not the first guy Sungyeol's liked. But he is the first one who's also a fan. He's not sure if that's a good thing just yet. "Am I special then?"  


"Asking all the tough questions first, huh," Sungyeol sighs. He doesn't seem uncomfortable talking about his personal life to someone he hardly knows, but Myungsoo wouldn't blame him if he was. "This is going to sound really cliché, but I think you're very interesting. You looked really nervous the first time we met. Like you were afraid I might talk to you or that you'd say something stupid. People get like that with me sometimes, so it's not anything new, but with you... I don't know, it felt different. I could tell you knew who I was and that you obviously had a crush on me." Myungsoo flushes slightly at the mention of how transparent he'd been. "But I wasn't as worried about that as I usually am. You looked like more than just a fan. I wanted to talk to you—I still want to talk to you and I want you to talk to me, without feeling nervous or scared or whatever. I want to get to know you. Get closer to you. If you'll let me?" Myungsoo nods, a smile breaking out on his face. Sungyeol reaches out to poke the dimple that forms in one of his cheeks. "Plus, you're really cute," he adds. Myungsoo looks away, placing a hand on his cheek as if that's going to make it less red.  


"Are we interrupting?"  


Sungyeol freezes at the new voice. The smile falls off his face so fast it's like it hadn't been there at all. Myungsoo turns to see who could get that kind of reaction from the actor. He finds Nam Woohyun standing a couple feet away with a taller man next to him. They're both holding trays with steaming plates of food and bottles of soju.  


"What're you guys doing here," Sungyeol asks with a defeated sigh and slouches in his chair.  


The other two men finally approach the table and start unloading their trays. When Myungsoo counts six bottles of soju he first questions how the two of them are supposed to drink all of that. Then he realizes the other actor and his friend are planning on joining them.  


"You didn't think you could go on a date at my family's restaurant and I wouldn't find out about it?" Woohyun puts his empty tray on a table nearby and pulls up a chair right next to Sungyeol. His tall friend follows suit and pulls up a chair next to Myungsoo.  


Sungyeol wastes no time twisting open one of the soju bottles. "I was hoping that would be after the date," he says as he pours himself shot.  


Woohyun plucks the glass from the other's long fingers before he can drink it. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"  


"Woohyun, Sungjong, this is Myungsoo. Myungsoo, these are my so-called friends."  


From there the atmosphere goes from a slightly romantic first date to a casual gathering. Woohyun and Sungjong turn out to be nicer than Myungsoo had expected them to be. They're friendly and just as interested in getting to know him as Sungyeol. He had thought they might consider their friend to be out of his league, but they've proven him wrong. The two seem genuinely happy for Sungyeol.  


Somewhere between the third and fourth bottle of soju Woohyun and Sungjong start an embarrass Lee Sungyeol contest. Sungjong, who Myungsoo learns is a model, has a number of stories from when they'd worked together during the actor's brief stint as a runway model. Most of them involve ruined clothes, offended designers, tripping, and general cluelessness. Similarly, Woohyun can recall a lot of instances of Sungyeol embarrassing himself. He's known the other actor longer, so his stories start from when they were both rookies with barely a minute of screen time between the two of them. Myungsoo feels bad for laughing as hard as he does.  


Sungyeol protests at first, most likely not wanting whatever impression Myungsoo might have of him to be ruined, but gives up when his friends ignore him. He gets through half of the fifth soju bottle by the time Woohyun and Sungjong are done. Myungsoo assumes that's why he's been staring at him from across the table. And probably why he makes a show of checking his watch and says a little too loudly, "Wow, is it that late already? Myungsoo, why don't I walk you home?"  


The restaurant is empty by now with just them and the owner (Woohyun's mother apparently). Myungsoo hadn't realized how late it had gotten. He's a little reluctant to call it a night, but he can tell his date is eager to leave. He agrees easily, figuring Sungyeol has suffered enough for the night. Plus, this way it can finally be just the two of them. "We should probably go now then," he says as he pushes his chair back. "Otherwise we might miss the last train."  


That's all Sungyeol needs before he's hurrying the two of them out of the restaurant. Woohyun and Sungjong get quick goodbyes (the model complains about not getting Myungsoo's number) while Mrs. Nam makes the actor swear to eat more often as he pays for their meal.  


Out on the street, most of the stores have closed and there's only a couple of people still walking around. As they walk toward the subway station, slowly despite the alleged time restraint, their arms brush against each other. Myungsoo hopes Sungyeol will be braver than him and hold his hand.  


"So let's never do that again," Sungyeol sighs. He has his hat pulled down low again.  


"I thought it was fun."  


"You're just saying that because you weren't the one being made fun of."  


Myungsoo hums but doesn't deny it. "How about a do-over?”  


"What do you have in mind?"  


"I haven't thought that far," Myungsoo shrugs. "I'll let you know when I do." He has to remember to keep putting one foot in front of the other when Sungyeol smiles down at him, his stomach doing another flip.  


"I'll look forward to it."  


The conversation ends there as they reach the station. They make it through the train's doors just in time and wind up being the only two people in the train car. Sitting side-by-side at the back of the car, Myungsoo finally musters enough courage to reach over and rest his hand on top of Sungyeol's. The older man jumps, looking from the hand on his own to the man next to him, but quickly recovers from his surprise. He turns his hand over so their fingers fit between each other. The car is silent save for the hum of the train. It seems like it gets impossibly quieter as Sungyeol leans in. Or maybe that's just because Myungsoo is holding his breath.  


Their lips brush at first, the touch light, as if Sungyeol isn’t sure if he should keep going. Myungsoo clears up the uncertainty by pressing his mouth more firmly against Sungyeol’s. The actor’s lips are as soft as Myungsoo had imagined they would be. (Not that he’s spent that much time thinking about them.) They stay like that for a few seconds before Myungsoo pulls back slightly. As he looks up at Sungyeol, he says the first words that come to mind.  


“You’re really cute, too.”  


Sungyeol is speechless for a moment. “That’s not what people usually say after I kiss them.” The smile that settles on his face is a cross between amused and embarrassed.  


Myungsoo turns in his seat to face the other man, placing their joined hands in his lap. “What do they usually say?” Sungyeol seems to catch onto the playful note in his voice as he leans in again. Myungsoo closes his eyes in anticipation of feeling the other’s soft lips when Sungyeol keeps leaning in.  


“Guess,” the actor says softly just before he closes the distance.


	2. I Want To Know You, Babe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me just apologize for all of the cuteness in this part.

Mornings have never been Myungsoo's favorite time of day. He's not a fan of the bright sunlight or forcing himself awake, preferring sleeping in and letting his body decide when it's time to wake up. Obviously, this hasn't been a very beneficial habit to have.  


But he finds himself waking up in the best mood of his life. He's actually happy to open his eyes. The sunlight streaming in through his windows doesn't feel as harsh and he even sits up and stretches without hesitation. It's all because of the night he'd had. (And maybe a little bit because it's his day off.) Sungyeol had walked him all the way up to his door and given him a long goodnight kiss. He smiles as he thinks about it, doing a more reserved version of his happy dance.  


Feeling energized despite not having even eaten yet, Myungsoo hops out of bed and heads to the bathroom. After he washes up he goes to the kitchen to contemplate his breakfast choices. Hoya's sitting at the tiny table they have squished into a corner of the equally tiny kitchen when he walks in.  
"What time did you get in," he asks, looking up from his bowl of cereal.  


Myungsoo opens the fridge and stares at its contents. There's a carton of eggs with exactly one egg left, less than half a gallon of milk, a lemon for some strange reason (when did either of them need a lemon?), and some leftover take-out from a couple days ago. Cereal is probably the only good option. They really need to do some shopping. "I have no idea," he answers honestly. The last thing on his mind last night was checking the time. He had floated into the apartment, buoyed by the excitement running through his veins, and went straight to bed. He might have replayed the night a couple hundred times before falling asleep.  


"So it was good?"  


Myungsoo joins Hoya at the table with a bowl, a spoon, a box of cereal (one that's meant for kids, but he prefers it over the grossly healthy stuff his roommate likes to eat), and the milk. "It wasn't terrible." He sets about fixing his breakfast while Hoya watches him from across the table, waiting for him to elaborate. "His friends kind of crashed it," he continues. "But it was fun. And he kissed me." He adds the last part quietly, leaving out exactly how many times they kissed.  


Hoya takes in the information with a nod. "Does that mean he's serious?" His face is carefully blank and Myungsoo can tell he's trying not to seem as concerned as he really is. He doesn't say it (because he's too awkward for the words to come out right), but Myungsoo knows his friend cares about him and wants him to be happy.  


"I think so," the younger man answers. Hoya's just looking out for him, making sure that he doesn't get hurt, and he understands why. Of course if things didn't work out with Sungyeol (or more importantly, if Sungyeol were to break his heart), Myungsoo knows Hoya would offer him a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. But, like the protective older brother Myungsoo sometimes feels he is, Hoya wants to make sure that it doesn't come to that.  


Myungsoo is almost completely sure things will work out with Sungyeol, that they have something. There's still a nagging part of his mind that isn't so sure. It wonders if the actor's intentions are entirely pure or if he's just a pretty face for Sungyeol to play with until he gets bored. And even though he's never once gotten that impression from the other man, there's still a part of him that thinks Sungyeol could really think of him like that. A lot of his worries are eased when he thinks about the way Sungyeol acts around him. His words aren't especially smooth and he looks at Myungsoo with something between fascination and attraction. It's flattering for obvious reasons, but also reassuring because Myungsoo can tell that he's sincere.  


"Do you want me to bring him over so you can make sure?" Myungsoo's only half-joking. He really would do it if Hoya wanted him to. His roommate's approval of a potential boyfriend is important to him. Even if he doesn't usually need it since he rarely goes out with anyone.  


Hoya snorts into his bowl as he sips the leftover milk. "I'm literally a year older than you. You make it sound like you're introducing him to your parents. Though, I guess I'd probably scare him away even if he really was serious." Myungsoo laughs with him, not refuting the claim. "You don't have to bring him over just yet," the older man continues. 

"But if Dongwoo likes him I'm sure it'll be fine."  


The conversation ends there as they both finish their cereal. Myungsoo ends up washing the dishes, but only because he offers to do them and Hoya doesn't fight him on it. The rest of the morning is spent slouched on the couch in front of the TV. Myungsoo spends most of that time picking up and putting down his phone. He's not really expecting a call or anything from Sungyeol. The actor doesn't have much free time on his hands what with shooting his drama and other TV appearances and whatever other obligations come with being a celebrity. It's more like Myungsoo's trying to decide if he should reach out first.  


Hoya eventually notices his dilemma and makes the decision for him. He takes the younger man's phone from him and sends a short text to Sungyeol before handing it back. Myungsoo panics despite the innocuous (and true) message. He doesn't know what kind of response to expect from the actor, but his worrying turns out to be unnecessary. His phone buzzes a couple minutes later with a message from Sungyeol. He hesitates to look at it at first even though he knows there’s no need to be nervous. It’s not until Hoya threatens to read the message for him that he finally opens it. The text puts a smile on his face as he reads it and he gives a silent thanks to his roommate for helping him.

**To: Lee Sungyeol**  
I had a great time yesterday

**From: Lee Sungyeol**  
Me too. I’m still waiting for the do-over though.

 

\\\\\

 

Dating a celebrity turns out to be a lot easier than Myungsoo had thought it would be. Of course, their dates are mainly late-night meals at Mrs. Nam's restaurant and clandestine meet-ups in the staircases of the broadcast station when they should both be working. But the more Myungsoo gets to know Sungyeol, the more he sees what a normal person he is and the more he falls for him. There are so many things about Sungyeol that watching his work and reading his interviews and hearing gossip about him just don't do justice. Being with him and experiencing the natural, relaxed side of Lee Sungyeol has given Myungsoo a better understanding of the actor. And even knowing what he does now about him, he still wonders what Sungyeol finds so interesting about him. Dongwoo tells him he shouldn't be so tough on himself, that he's an amazing person that anyone would be lucky just to know. And Hoya agrees with him—although his support is more along the lines of "what's so great about Lee Sungyeol that you don't think you could date him?"  


The actor also seems to have caught onto Myungsoo's doubts. He never misses an opportunity to tell the younger man that he missed him or was thinking about him or just that he likes him. And Myungsoo is always happy to hear the words. They make his heart flutter as much as Sungyeol's smile. Or Sungyeol in general.  


And now, sitting at a table with Sungyeol and a bunch of other actors and staff members from the actor's drama, he feels it even more. It's not so much because of where they are, but the fact that he's there with Sungyeol. If he had still been looking for something to show him that the other really was serious then this would be it. Maybe he's reading too much into it, but Sungyeol inviting him to the celebratory dinner for the end of his drama feels like a statement. Not a public one since they label each other as friends when asked. More like a private statement meant only for Myungsoo. One that says Sungyeol wants to include him in this because he wants Myungsoo to be a more permanent part of his life. Myungsoo's still waiting for the right moment to ask Sungyeol to be his boyfriend. But that mostly means he's waiting for the actor to beat him to the punch. And this dinner has probably brought them another step closer to it. (Myungsoo's sure the other will say the words first.)  


Sungyeol's hand passes briefly over his thigh, giving it a slight squeeze, and brings the younger man back to the current setting. They're sitting at one end of a long table where one of the actors is talking about the first time they read the script for the last episode. Normally Myungsoo would be listening intently, his overwhelming curiosity outweighing the promise he'd made with himself (and Hoya) to avoid having the conclusion of the drama spoiled. But he's not really hearing any of the talking going on around him. Maybe it's the couple of drinks he's had already that are making his mind fuzzy and causing him to zone out more frequently than he usually does.  


"We can leave if you want," Sungyeol says as he leans over to speak into the intern's ear. Concern is etched into his face, pulling his mouth down into a frown. Myungsoo fights back the urge to reach out and push up the corners of the other's lips to change it to a smile. He also has to resist pressing his nose to the exposed skin of Sungyeol's neck and inhaling the scent of his cologne. Being somewhere between tipsy and drunk seems to make it harder for him to control his overly affectionate nature.  


"Don't they need you here?" Myungsoo does want to go, but he's willing to stay a bit longer for Sungyeol's sake.  


Sungyeol shakes his head, leaning just a fraction closer. "They'll be fine without me. Let me take you home, okay?" He doesn't wait for the other's response and instead stands up from the table. A couple heads turn in his direction when he does, including Woohyun's in the seat next to him. He excuses himself and brings Myungsoo to his feet with a hand on his elbow as he explains his reason for leaving. The intern doesn't have much to say, only smiling at the staff who bid him goodnight. He wouldn't say he's drunk, but it probably would be a good idea to call it a night.  


His head clears a little once they get outside. He takes deep breaths of fresh air as if that'll make him sober faster. Sungyeol keeps a purposefully respectable distance from him as they walk down a few busy streets towards the nearest train station. His arm snakes around Myungsoo's waist once they turn down a side street that's not as well-lit. They continue walking in silence for another block with Myungsoo leaning more and more of his weight on Sungyeol. Eventually, the actor has to steer them over to an alleyway close-by. He leans Myungsoo on the wall of a building and tilts his face up to get a better look at it. A streetlight shows him the younger man smiling up at him.  


"How much did you drink exactly?" He sounds amused, like he's holding back laughter.  


Myungsoo wraps his arms around the other man's waist and buries his face in his chest. He breathes deeply a couple times as he finally gets to indulge his (mostly) drunken whims. "Just a little," he mumbles into Sungyeol's shirt. A button is pressing into his cheek, but he doesn't really care.  


"You're not usually so..." The actor trails off when the other starts to purr (can humans even do that?) and push his face further into his chest. "Maybe I should just call a taxi."  


Myungsoo tightens his hold on Sungyeol as he lets out a whimper he'll be embarrassed about later. "No. I want to ride the train with you." He picks his head up to look at the older man. "It's our thing." Which is true. Myungsoo doesn't know what he does afterwards, but Sungyeol always rides the train with him and then walks him to his door. It's a sweet gesture that the younger man has grown fond of after two months of their secretive dating.  


Sungyeol's wide eyes look down at him. The hand he has under Myungsoo's chin slides down to rest on the back of his neck. "We have a thing?" If Myungsoo was thinking clearly he'd probably recognize the nervous tremor in the other's voice. But instead he just nods and smiles. Sungyeol doesn't have anything to say to that, or maybe he's too flustered to get the words out. He loosens Myungsoo's arms from around him and leads him back onto the sidewalk. The younger man follows him obediently, not leaning on him as much as before.  


There's a bit of a crowd when they get to the station since they're not out as late as usual. Although he's dressed down and not wearing any make-up, Sungyeol still keeps his head down. He's been getting recognized more often as his drama wraps up. He usually brushes it off, but Myungsoo can tell he's happy for the attention.  


The trip back to Myungsoo's apartment is quick and uneventful. The intern manages to control his need to touch, settling for entwining their pinky fingers where their hands are resting on the seat between them. Sungyeol has to bite back his smile. It feels like no time at all that they're standing at the entrance to the building. And so starts their awkward back-and-forth of goodbyes. (As many times as they've been in this position, it's still the same as the first time.) Sungyeol leans in to press a soft kiss to Myungsoo's lips and the other responds easily. He wraps his arms around the actor's neck to bring him closer, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss. And Sungyeol lets him. They kiss for a little longer than they probably should considering they're still standing outside. Myungsoo pulls away first, panting slightly.  


He thinks he's only a little drunk when he asks, "Do you want to come up?"  


There's a flash of something in Sungyeol's eyes that he can't see well enough to recognize. When it passes the older man's expression is hesitant. "Won't Hoya be there?" More than the weirdness of bringing a date up to a shared apartment, there's the fact that the actor hasn't formally met Myungsoo's roommate. He's heard about him from the younger man (and, of course, Hoya's heard a good amount about him), but hasn't gotten around to meeting face-to-face. Myungsoo suspects it's because he's still intimidated by the first impression Hoya left when they'd spoken on the phone. Sungyeol denies it, though.  


"Sometimes having a roommate works out for everyone." The alcohol in his system is probably to blame for the outright flirtatious tone to his words. He takes one of Sungyeol's hands and starts to lead him inside. "Hoya's spending the night at his girlfriend's place." (His roommate would say that it's too early in their relationship to use that label, but Myungsoo can already tell that's where they're headed.)  


Sungyeol gets past the glass doors of the building before he finds another reason why this might not be a good idea. His shoes squeak on the floor of the lobby as he digs his heels in to slow down Myungsoo's determined steps. "Maybe we shouldn't..." Myungsoo turns to look at him, confused. "You had a lot to drink," he explains, "I don't want you to do anything you might regret."  


"I won't," the younger man assures him. He feels the most sober he's felt since they left the party. "If it makes you feel more comfortable we don't even have to do anything."  


"Yeah, I guess we could—wait, you mean, like, nothing at all?"  


Myungsoo laughs at the way Sungyeol's face turns completely serious, his eyebrows knitted with worry. "We can kiss if you want," he appeases the actor. He pulls lightly at the hand that he's still holding in an attempt to get them walking again. It doesn't work.  


Sungyeol looks away as he rubs at the blush on one of his cheeks. "I guess that could work."  


Myungsoo laughs again at the other's cuteness and finally gets him moving with another tug on his hand. He keeps a good distance between the two of them when they get on the elevator, all too aware of the camera fixed on them. His caution seems to be unnecessary as Sungyeol proves he has perfect self-control. From the elevator to getting into the apartment, the actor keeps his hands to himself. He makes sure Myungsoo drinks a whole glass of water and that he's comfortable and feeling okay. He even puts space between them when they're sitting on the couch with the TV playing something neither of them can be bothered trying to name. The room is dark except for the light from the TV.  


Just as Myungsoo starts to wonder if Sungyeol's changed his mind, the actor turns to face him. "There's something I should tell you before we..." He doesn't meet Myungsoo's eyes, focusing on a spot just behind him. Fear and worry swirl together in his gut as Myungsoo waits silently for the other to continue. "You'll hear it tomorrow, but I want you to hear it from me first." He clears his throat before finally announcing, "I got a part in a movie."  


The relief that washes over Myungsoo leaves him speechless for a moment. He had thought he would be hearing horrible, or at least heartbreaking, news. This is so much better. "That's great," he smiles. "For a second I thought it would be bad news, but this is, like, the best. I'm so happy for you." His enthusiasm doesn't seem to be contagious as Sungyeol still won't look at him. "Shouldn't you be happy, too?"  


The actor lets out a heavy sigh, turning to face the TV but not actually looking at it. "I am. It's just... I'll have to leave in a couple weeks. And I know we're not necessarily together, but I really like you. Like, more than I've liked anyone in a really long time. So it kinda sucks to have to go just when we're getting to know each other."  


Myungsoo moves over to Sungyeol's side of the couch. "I'll still be here when you come back," he promises. "If you want me to be." He had known what he was getting himself into when he'd agreed to go out with the older man. Sungyeol is a rising star; it's a given that he'll be offered bigger and better things as he gets more popular. Myungsoo's happy for it because Sungyeol deserves all of his success. His only selfish wish is that the other will let him be by his side as he continues on in his career. Because he doesn't think there's anything he enjoys more than seeing Sungyeol immersed in his acting. The actor's commitment is probably his most attractive point in Myungsoo's opinion.  


"I wouldn't want you to miss out on anything because of me."  


"I really like you, too," Myungsoo admits. "A lot. And I can—no, I want to wait for you." Sungyeol finally looks over at him, the light from the TV making his eyes shine. He's silent for a beat before leaning in to press a kiss to the corner of Myungsoo's lips. It feels like an okay; like the other is saying that he wants to be together too and he's willing to wait for it. So Myungsoo kisses the side of Sungyeol's mouth as well, sealing the deal in a way, and then he goes for his lips.  


From there they end up stretched across the couch, tangled up in each other. Myungsoo doesn't think the novelty of kissing Sungyeol will ever wear off. Not that he would want it to, either. That could explain why it takes a good ten minutes before he can bring himself to take more than a couple seconds' of breaths in between kisses. He basks in the sight of Sungyeol next to him, breathing as heavily as he is and looking even more gorgeous than before.  


"What?" Sungyeol asks when Myungsoo only stares at him. He looks both nervous and excited with a smile playing at his lips.  


Almost automatically, the younger man's hand comes up to brush across his cheek. He gives a small shake of his head as he says, "Nothing." Somehow that's enough of an answer for Sungyeol. He leans in to connect their mouths and Myungsoo gets lost again in the addictive thrill of kissing Sungyeol. It's hard to tell how long they stay like that, making out on the couch and washed in the glow of late-night television. It's even harder to tell exactly when they doze off in each other's arms. But as Myungsoo slowly wakes up the next morning, the thought that he could get used to this flits through his sleepy mind and makes his chest feel light. The feeling only lasts for a few seconds, though, because he opens his eyes to find Hoya looming over the couch. Unfortunately for Sungyeol that leads to a rather rude awakening with the floor thanks to the frightened scream Myungsoo lets out.

 

\\\\\

 

In the two weeks leading up to Sungyeol's departure he and Myungsoo continue their unorthodox dating routine. They both realize that their relationship doesn't have to be put on hold just because they won't be in the same country for a couple of months. So they decide to go the long-distance route. It doesn't make saying goodbye any easier, though. Especially when it's only over the phone because Sungyeol's manager won't let him go out with such an important schedule coming up. Their words come out wistfully as they make promises to send messages and pictures as often as possible.  


The first week or so has Myungsoo feeling a little lost. He only hears from Sungyeol a few times as the actor is too busy filming to do more than send a quick (but sweet; always sweet) text or chat for five minutes. It leaves him with more free time than he thought he had. His nights become restless, having spent enough of them awake with Sungyeol that going to sleep has lost its appeal.  


He makes sure his work doesn't suffer, though. It's just an internship, but he still has a chance of getting hired at the end of it. His co-workers do notice that there's something off with him. Surprisingly, Sunggyu is the first one to bring it up. He takes Myungsoo aside one day to "have a word" with him. The intern considers those four minutes and thirty-five seconds the most excruciating four minutes and thirty-five seconds of his life. His conversation (more like interrogation) with Jiae and Sujeong is a bit less weird.  


Ever the reliable close friend and roommate, Hoya tries his best to comfort Myungsoo after Sungyeol leaves. Because he's somehow come to believe that Myungsoo is in dire need of a friend. The younger man doesn't have it in him to tell the other that he's doing fine; that he’s not so fragile that he’ll break without Sungyeol. Even when Hoya's efforts mean random stiff hugs while Myungsoo's doing the dishes or a shoulder for Myungsoo to rest his head on as they watch TV. It's almost too awkward to bear, but Myungsoo does so because he knows his friend means well. (Plus, there's also free ice cream and he's not one to pass up free ice cream.) He appreciates Hoya's concern, but doesn't let it take precedence over everything else. Hoya does have a girlfriend after all. Myungsoo would hate to see it ruined because his friend isn't giving the relationship the attention it deserves. So, he lets Hoya fuss over him in his painfully awkward (and bumbling) way, but also makes sure his roommate spends time with his girlfriend. (He’s sure Heeyeon appreciates it.)  


All in all, Myungsoo thinks he handles the separation pretty well. Since he and Sungyeol are only at the start of their relationship, he considers it a warm-up for the times to come when the actor lands roles that take him across the country or even the world. Practice of sorts for when he's grown more attached to Sungyeol and not being close to him feels like a bigger loss than it currently does. He's more than happy when the end of the two months rolls around, though. It's surprising how much he's missed Sungyeol; how badly hearing his voice over the phone makes Myungsoo want to see his face on the pillow next to him; how frequently reading a message from him fills Myungsoo with a longing he can't do anything about. The clichéd line of absence making the heart grow fonder passes through his mind in those instances. It seems fitting, though, because his feelings for Sungyeol have definitely grown while they've been apart. And now he can't wait to show it to the actor once he returns.  


Myungsoo comes home from the station ready to relay the good news to Hoya when he notices an unfamiliar pair of shoes by the door. He doesn't think anything of it besides that his friend must have bought himself a new pair. "Hoya," he calls out as he toes off his own shoes. There's no reply, but he continues anyway. "Did you buy those sneakers or were they a gift from Heeyeon? They don't really seem like your style, though." He has a small smile on his face that slips when he enters the empty living room. With the TV off the whole apartment is completely silent. He leaves the living room, passes the kitchen and bathroom (both empty), and stops in front of Hoya's bedroom. His roommate has been good about not intentionally scaring the crap out of him since Sungyeol left, but Myungsoo's still on guard.  


"Hoya," he calls again with his hand on the door handle. He waits a second before slowly opening the door. The breath he'd been holding comes out in a long sigh as he takes in the sight of the fourth empty room in the apartment. The late afternoon sunlight shines onto Hoya's untouched bed. Myungsoo's relief is short-lived, though, when he remembers that there's still one more room in which his roommate could be hiding. He approaches his room full of apprehension, but decides to just get it over with and swings the door open as soon as he reaches it.  


Hoya is nowhere to be found in Myungsoo's room, but instead the younger man finds the absolutely last person he would have expected to be waiting for him. He stands frozen in surprise in the doorway as he watches Sungyeol (his Sungyeol, he thinks breathlessly) rise from his seat on the edge of the bed.  


"Surprise." Sungyeol smiles shyly at him and holds out a little white-furred teddy bear. Myungsoo hadn't even noticed it. "Can you please say something," the actor asks when the younger man only stares at him.  


That snaps the intern out of his shock. He finally steps into the room and closer to Sungyeol. "You said next week." His lips feel too stiff to form the words properly, but they must come out fine because Sungyeol's smile turns cheeky.  


"Well, you see, sometimes when you plan a surprise there's something called a diversion—" He doesn't get to finish his wisecrack as Myungsoo closes the distance between them and connects their lips. The younger man holds Sungyeol's face in his hands with a gentleness that's at odds with the almost rough slide of his mouth against the other’s. He's been waiting so long to do that.  


Of course, that's when a thought occurs to him that he immediately has to voice. He breaks their kiss to look up at Sungyeol. "I really missed you."  


Sungyeol's dumbfounded expression melts at the words. "I missed you, too," he says, wrapping his arms around the younger man.  


Myungsoo hides the blush on his cheeks by resting his head on Sungyeol's chest. "So who else was in on this anyway," he asks. He feels like the shy fanboy he had been when they first met. Especially with the way his stomach is flipping like crazy. It's kind of embarrassing, actually.  


"Just Dongwoo and Hoya." The actor's chin rests lightly on the top of his head. "I wasn't sure if Dongwoo would be able to keep it a secret, though." Myungsoo smiles against Sungyeol's shirt. That explains why Dongwoo had been so nice to him at work. The other is always nice, but he'd really outdone himself. Even though they don't normally run into each other, the shorter man practically became Myungsoo's shadow.  


Sungyeol's chest heaves as he takes a deep breath. "If you find anything I'm about to say incredibly cheesy, it's all Woohyun's fault," he warns. "Well, any cheesiness at all you can blame on Woohyun." Myungsoo picks his head up to look at him, the smile still on his face. He thinks he knows what the actor might want to say, but he'd rather hear it directly from him. "I know we've spent a lot of time together the past few months, going on dates and stuff. And it's been fun getting to know you...and falling for you." Sungyeol doesn't look away as he says the words so Myungsoo doesn't either. The actor sounds sincere and not the least bit awkward or embarrassed. "It's not going to be easy, but I was wondering—hoping, I guess, that you would..." Sungyeol lets the sentence hang unfinished and takes a step back. Still holding the teddy bear, he puts the paws together so Myungsoo can read the words sewn into them. The right paw says "be" on it while the left says "mine".  


Myungsoo's smile is wide enough to split his face in half. It probably wouldn't have mattered how Sungyeol went about confessing to him, but this is definitely the cutest way. He makes a mental note to thank Woohyun the next time he sees him. (Probably just a hug or a handshake, though; Dongwoo hadn't seemed to appreciate a kiss.) He accepts the bear from Sungyeol and hugs it to himself. "Do you even have to ask," he asks with a slight tilt of his head.


	3. Epilogue

For the first time in a long while, Myungsoo isn't the last one to leave. He's actually done earlier than usual. There's no special reason for it, though, besides his workload being lighter for the day. He only wishes he had one. Sungyeol's been busy promoting his movie, so they haven't had a chance to see each other in weeks. Exchanging texts and random pictures is nice to a point. After that Myungsoo would rather have the actor in front of him. But he can only hope Sungyeol is able to find some time to see him.  


He waves goodbye to Jiae and Sujeong still stuck behind their desks. They whine about him leaving before them and make sure he remembers the team dinner they're having the next day (with a reluctant Sunggyu who'll most likely end up footing the bill). Eventually he's able to get out of the room and make his way to the elevators. As if on cue, one of them arrives just as he gets there. The doors open to reveal the last person Myungsoo expects to see. He takes a step back in surprise and looks around to see if there's anyone else close by.  


"What are you doing here," he asks.  


Sungyeol steps off the elevator, his lower lip sticking out in a pout. "You don't look very happy to see me," the actor scolds him. "After I came all the way here to surprise you."  


Myungsoo isn't sure if he wants to kick him or kiss him, but neither action would be appropriate at the moment. Instead he wraps his hand around Sungyeol's wrist and gently pulls him toward the stairwell. The actor follows behind him readily. It's not necessarily any better than being in the hallway, but it feels relatively more private. Once the door shuts behind them and they're both sure it's only them in the stairwell, Myungsoo wastes no time backing his boyfriend up against the wall. He doesn't have to tip-toe too much as Sungyeol meets him halfway to connect their lips.  


The kiss starts off slow, a simple press of their lips, before becoming deeper. Sungyeol's hands grip onto Myungsoo's waist to bring him closer while the intern holds on tightly to the front of Sungyeol’s shirt. Even though it's inevitable, Myungsoo doesn't want the moment to end. It's been so long since they could be together like this, just the two of them. (Of course, his place of work isn't the best location for what they're doing.) Sungyeol seems to be just as reluctant to part when Myungsoo tries to put a bit of space between them, so the younger man indulges him and kisses him again. It's long and leaves them both out of breath by the end of it. There's silence between them for a moment afterwards as they stare at each other. Myungsoo speaks up first.  


"But why are you really here? I find it hard to believe you came here just for me."  


Sungyeol cocks his head to the side in a way that Myungsoo finds incredibly cute, a small smile pulling at his lips. "Why is that hard to believe," he asks.  


"You're already so busy." It hardly sounds convincing even to Myungsoo. "You don't have to go out of your way to come see me." And he really means it. Although he'd like to be with Sungyeol pretty much all time, Myungsoo wouldn't want the other to shirk his responsibilities for the sake of a quick meet-up. He can make do with seeing each other whenever it's convenient.  


"I know." Sungyeol glances down, most likely from embarrassment at what he's about to say. "But I want to."  


Myungsoo brings his arms up to wrap around Sungyeol’s neck and tip-toes to place a little peck on his nose. "You're really great, you know that?"  


Sungyeol blushes at the compliment, but quickly tries to collect himself. "So I've heard," he replies with feigned arrogance. It only lasts a couple seconds before a brilliant smile takes over. Myungsoo spends a moment enjoying the sight. This might be the brightest smile he's ever gotten from Sungyeol. And then he ruins it.  


"But why are you really here," he asks again. He laughs at how fast Sungyeol’s smile falls mostly because he knows the other isn't really upset.  


"This again?"  


Myungsoo only nods in response.  


"If I tell you, then I'll have to kill you."  


An eye roll this time.  


"Fine," Sungyeol sighs. "But you can't tell anyone because it not official just yet." Myungsoo sticks out his pinky finger and the actor wraps his own around it so they can do a (very childish) pinky promise. "So the reason I'm here—besides to see you, of course—is because I might get casted in another drama for this station."  


Myungsoo pulls his boyfriend into a hug, grinning from ear to ear. "That's so exciting. I can't wait to watch you on TV again."  


" _Might_ ," Sungyeol stresses, "I said I _might_ get the part. A lot of good actors want the same part."  


Myungsoo finally releases the taller man so he can land a weak punch on his shoulder. Much like Myungsoo's insecurity about his permanence in the other's life, Sungyeol has a tendency to put down himself and his talents. He's promised to work on it and the younger man makes sure to help him along any way he can. "What have I told you about negative thinking? You _will_ get the part. I know it."  


Sungyeol leans in to press a soft kiss to Myungsoo's lips. "Thank you," he says, his voice low and warm.  


It's hard to resist the strong urge to pull the actor back in for another kiss, but Myungsoo reminds himself that they're still technically in public. "We should probably go now," he says instead as he takes Sungyeol's hand. It might as well have been a suggestion seeing as neither of them make a move to leave. Sungyeol smiles down at him like he's been reading his mind and he knows how badly Myungsoo wants to kiss him. It's true, but Myungsoo doesn't want to give him the satisfaction of being right. He clears his throat and turns to head down the stairs. Sungyeol follows behind him, his laughter echoing in the empty stairwell.  


"What kind of role is it anyway?" Myungsoo picks the conversation back up as if it had never been dropped. He's both genuinely curious and in need of a way to distract his boyfriend.  


Sungyeol swings their connected hands between them as they walk side-by-side. "A doctor," he answers simply.  


"Aren't you kinda young to be a doctor?"  


"Well, he's supposed to be a genius too. Shouldn't he be young?"  


Myungsoo sighs, letting go of Sungyeol's hand to hug him from the side instead. They've stopped on the landing between the first and second floors. There's only a flight of stairs separating them and everyone else, but Myungsoo isn't ready to give that up just yet. "So my boyfriend's going to be a genius doctor. How lucky am I?"  


Sungyeol chuckles and pets Myungsoo's hair affectionately. "Lucky? What are you going to do if I don't get the part?" He looks down at Myungsoo, the smile on his lips reaching all the way up to his eyes.  


"I'd have you all to myself, then, I guess," Myungsoo concludes after a moment of thought. He leans in to finally claim Sungyeol's lips. It lasts longer than it should, but Myungsoo can't seem to let it end.  


Sungyeol pulls away first—well, as well as he can with Myungsoo's arms wrapped around him. "You're really great, you know that," he echoes Myungsoo's question from earlier.  


Maybe it's because it reminds him of the first time Sungyeol told him he liked him, but Myungsoo feels his stomach flipping at the words. He lets go of his boyfriend and focuses on straightening his clothes. "It might've come up," he murmurs, feeling oddly shy. It's not like the two of them have never complimented each other.  


"I have an idea," Sungyeol says as he starts walking down the last flight of stairs with Myungsoo following behind him. "How about your genius doctor boyfriend takes you back to his place so you can have him all to yourself for the night?"  


"Until you have to be on-call at the hospital again," Myungsoo snorts while Sungyeol laughs at the corniness. "Okay." They've finally reached the first floor and Myungsoo pecks Sungyeol on the lips before pulling open the door leading to the lobby. "It's a date."


End file.
